Saturday, April 29, 2017

[Editor's Note: This is the final installment in a series of five on the Unity Truth Principles. It is designed to provide a deeper understanding of the thinking that forms the basis of our teachings and lives.]

Living the Truth, walking the talk, or practicing the truth as we know it is Principle 5. Theory is one thing, and practice is quite another. I believe we have come to the time in history where we cannot settle for uplifting quotations, idle affirmations that have no power of belief and conviction. This is the time, more than any other, to put into practice the Truths we have learned, and do so with all the power and authority that we have been given.Principle 5 is the action part of the 5 Principles; it says, it works if you work it. Jesus was well-known for going into action. The Truth that He taught was not a static, lifeless set of principles, they were vibrant and powerful and were put to use at every opportunity. When He fed the 5,000, healed the sick, and raised the dead, he was using principles with an emphasis on action. The people could see the manifestation of his teachings. The saw and they believed. They experienced Jesus, and they saw that His teachings were not idle murmurings, but Truth demonstrated. There is a story I heard many years ago, about a Unity minister and a man who attended his Wednesday evening class. Every Wednesday evening the man would come through the line to greet the minister and on a weekly basis he would tell him, “Thank you for tonight. I do enjoy coming here on Wednesdays. I learn so much, but I am a Baptist, and I go to the Baptist church on Sundays, so you will never see me here on a Sunday morning.” The minister always thanked him for coming and assured him he was always welcome whenever he came.This went on for a year. Then, one Sunday the minister was surprised to see the man coming through the line after church. The minister stated, Ï am so happy to see you, but I thought you were never going to come on Sunday because you attended the Baptist church.” “Oh yes,” the man replied. “But this stuff works. I’ll be here every Sunday.”Many people think that this teaching is easy; it’s not. The Truths that we hold to be valid are simple Truths; however, they are not easy. We have to live, experience, and practice them every day. It is up to us to go into action, put our feet on our prayers, and to speak words of health, wealth, success and abundance. It is up to us to rid ourselves of negative, self-defeating ideas; it is up to us to know there is no lack or limitation of any kind in our lives. When we make inner changes, they can’t help but spill over into our outer experiences; it becomes automatic. Remember the Principles are simple yet powerful models that help us understand our world and our relationship to it.Principles have the same results every time, no matter where or when they are used, or who uses them. Principles are forever. They don’t wear out, rust out, or give out, and they can’t be overused. Principles work every time. Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity, stated that “If you have a choice between appearance or principle, always stand on principle.”

The Five Basic Principles of Truth

Principle One

There is only one Presence and one Power active in the universe: God the good, omnipotent. The everywhere present Spirit of Absolute good is readily
available to all and is equally present to all. "An infinite
God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He
does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but
to each one, He gives all of Himself faithfully as if there
were no others." (A.W. Tozer)

"God is all, both invisible and visible. One Presence,
Knowledge and Power is All. This One that is All is
Perfect Life, Love, Intelligence, and Substance."
(Statement of Fundamentals)Principle Two Our essence is of God; therefore, we are inherently good. Jesus taught that we are both human and divine. We are
spiritual beings, living in a spiritual universe, governed
by spiritual laws. We are an individualized expression of
God. As children of God, we are heirs to all the richness
and goodness of God, endowed with the attributes and
qualities of God through which we can be freed from all
limitation. "Man, is a piece of the Universe made alive."
(Emerson) Principle Three We are co-creators with God, creative reality through thoughts held in mind. Our thoughts are the most powerful part of ourselves.
We call this the "Law of Mind Action." Thoughts held
in mind produce after their kind; form follows thought.
We are thinking beings. God's greatest gift to us is the
power of thought. Change your thoughts and change
your life! Principle Four Through prayer and meditation, we align our heart and mind with God. Denials and affirmations
are tools we use. Prayer is talking to God; meditation is listening to God.
Our God is not a reluctant God. We pray not to change
God's mind, but to change our mind or consciousness to
receive the gifts and joys that have already been
prepared for us. Prayer is not begging and pleading. It is knowing and
connecting to the mighty force for good that dwells
within. Emerson said, "Prayer is contemplating the facts
of life from the highest point of view. " Prayer is saying
yes to what we want to experience in life. Principle Five Through thoughts, words and actions, we live the Truth we know. We have to live these Truth Principles to the best of our
knowledge every day and in every way. It is up to us to
speak words of health, wealth, success and abundance. We must go into action and apply the principles in all of
life's experiences.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

"...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

(Matthew 6:10)

"If you are not expressing the will of God, you will experience inharmony.

It is equally true that when you express His will harmony will come."

(Emmet Fox)

The idea of will is making a decision and moving forward. I have decided that I am going to let God lead the way. As I trust and go forward listening to that still, small voice within, God will lead the way. If I don't know the why or the where of some situation that has occurred in my life, I can simply call upon divine understanding, knowing that the answers will be revealed.

In his book, Sermon on the Mount, Emmet Fox writes: "A tragic mistake that is often made by orthodox religious people is to assume that the will of God for them is bound to be something very dull and uninviting, if not positively unpleasant. The truth is the will of God for us always means greater freedom, greater self-expression, wider, newer, brighter experiences, better health, greater prosperity, wider opportunity of service to others and a life more abundant."

As we mature spiritually, there is a willingness to do God's will. God's will for you and God's will for me is to live healthy, happy, successful, joyous, prosperous lives. The truth is God's will for us is always good and even greater than we could ever imagine!

Sunday, April 23, 2017

God wants only good for you and He is the sustaining, loving force that upholds the universe. God's divine plan for you is to have you accept all His good. When you understand this, you understand what is behind all incidents that take place in your worldly experience. All your experiences, whether they appear to be positive or negative, are part of God's plan for your good. This knowingness comes through your feeling nature or your heart. When you accept the fact that everything is working together for good, you understand how to accomplish. All fear is removed; confidence is restored; and understanding is established.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

As we enter into the spirit of Easter, we feel a triumphant spirit of new faith, new life. A sense of wonder is evident, and we become ever more aware of God's great love for His beloved creation.

The Easter story tells us that no matter what our challenges may be, with the right attitude, we can go through them victorious in every way. No tomb can hold us back.

There are songs of rejoicing in the air; the blooms of spring celebrate this happy day. Our hearts rejoice and leap with gladness! This is a new day! Our spirits are renewed, and we feel the quickening of new life within our minds, hearts, and bodies.

Rejoice! Rejoice! With expectation and hope, we welcome Easter, the symbol of light, life, joy, love. Triumphant we soar into the newness of a now blessed life!